


mile high club

by instillared



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flight Attendants, Angst, Breaking Up & Making Up, Confessions, Flight Attendants, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-25 07:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14374317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/instillared/pseuds/instillared
Summary: imagine being stuck on a thirteen hour flight with a flight attendant who happens to be your ex-boyfriend you broke up with even though you're still in love with him. wonwoo can weirdly relate.





	1. wonwoo

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to another episode of stilla writes chaptered works while simultaneously abandoning their previous works. I promise I haven't. 
> 
> this fic will be done in POVs by chapter. this first chapter is wonwoo's POV. the publishing company and airline are all fake.
> 
> I am not a flight attendant nor do I work for an airline so all of my knowledge comes from google/past experiences. More characters will come in later, and each relationship will be detailed somewhat.

“ _We will now begin the boarding process for Flight Nine-Eight-Three with service to Incheon International Airport starting with our Platinum Members and Military._ ”

The couple sitting beside Wonwoo pack up their belongings, wife bouncing a baby on one knee while the husband puts together three small bags and a stroller. There’s a dog tag hanging off the woman’s purse and he notices some faded ink on her bicep. He wonders what they’re planning on doing in South Korea of all places. What they did in California. He fiddles with his headphones before untangling them and pulling them over his ears, pre-flight playlist ready to go. It’s only his second time flying internationally, the first anxiety of being in a new country with a language he barely spoke and places he’d only seen on television. The second anxiety comes from going back home, speaking a language he knew and places he loved.

People he loved, too.

“ _Now boarding group b and all previous groups. Please have your passport and boarding ticket ready_.”

The announcement is repeated in Korean and Wonwoo springs forward from his seat nearly tripping on his own computer bag. The line moves slowly but as soon as Wonwoo scans his boarding pass and the agent thanks him he moves quickly down the jet bridge. The sound of the gate fades behind him and he’s finally at the aircraft door.

Two flight attendants greet him, one male and one female. The male waves him over, motioning for his boarding pass. “Ah, you’re in this row, straight back. Enjoy your flight!” He has a nice voice, Wonwoo notes.

Thanks to the credit card he all but forced himself to purchase while in America, Wonwoo manages to get on the plane and stow his larger carry-on in the bins above with little trouble. There are maybe thirty other people on the plane so far including staff but he knows the plane itself holds over two hundred people so it’ll be a while before they depart. He settles into his window seat comfortably, prays his seat companion is a decent human being and messes around with the entertainment system lodged in the seat in front of him.

A whole year in America. Wonwoo thinks about his friends in California, his coworkers and neighbors. He thinks about his roommate, his roommate’s boyfriend who was almost like an extra roommate, his roommate’s dog. He’d spent an entire year in America with a paid internship as an assistant to a financial advisor for a publishing company. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to, and now he was being relocated to Seoul for a full-time position under that same financial advisor. He even had an apartment waiting with two new roommates.

Wonwoo was finally ready to pretend he had his life together.

He feels his phone buzz in his hands and looks down to see three rapid-fire notifications his financial advisor. It just so happens said financial advisor is also one of the closest friends he made in California.

 _Cheol >> Wonwoo _  
**XX:32** : U board yet?  
**XX:32** : Haha get it. Bored. Board.  
**XX:32** : Are u on the plane

_Wonwoo >> Cheol _

**XX:34** : yes to both.

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:35** : When do u land again? JR will pick u up.

_Wonwoo >> Cheol _

**XX:37** : your boyfriend is not your personal chauffeur, cheol.

 **XX:37** : *husband

There’s a throat cleared from above and Wonwoo looks up to find an older gentleman standing in the aisle next to Wonwoo’s row of seats. He nods politely, gestures for the man to sit down. The older man is disgruntled and Wonwoo readies himself for a _fantastic_ thirteen-hour plane ride.

When he looks back at his phone he has seven more notifications.

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:37** : Omg u were at the wedding!!!!!!!!! >:(

 **XX:40** : I just asked and he said it was kewl.

_Gyu >> Wonwoo _

**13:38** : Safe flight!!!!!!! Hao says congrats again. Aji misses you too!!!!!

 **XX:38** : [image attached]

 

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:39** : Did the plane take off yet?

 **XX:39** : Wat movies do they have?

 **XX:39** : Did u die????

And before he can respond to any of them, a new one pops up.

_Mom >> Wonwoo _

**XX:43** : Have a safe flight.

There’s a sick feeling in his gut, like someone twisting a knife around his insides. He stares at the screen for what feels like an hour before a bell sounds through the cabin speakers. Wonwoo recognizes the voice, the nice voice who helped him find his seat.

“ _Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome onboard flight nine-eight-three with service from Los Angeles to Incheon. I am your chief flight attendant, Yoon Jeonghan. We are just about ready to take off and get you all on your way, flight time of approximately thirteen hours and fifteen minutes. Cabin crew are coming through now to do a final cabin check so please make sure all tray tables are put up and your seats are in their full upright position. Also at this time, we ask you to turn off all large electronic devices and set your smaller mobile devices and tablets to airplane mode for the duration of the flight._ ”

The announcement is repeated in Korean while two flight attendants scale the aisles on either side, hands sliding against the overhead compartment bins. Wonwoo takes the opportunity to shoot off a final text to Seungcheol.

_Wonwoo >> Cheol _

**XX:59** : about to take off. will message back when I have wifi.

The speakers' crackle once more. “ _Please direct your attention to the screens in front of you for a brief safety video_.” His phone buzzes as he moves to switch his plane over to airplane mode, the words staining his lock screen.

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:02** : Join the mile high club!!!!!!!!!

 

They’re in the air what feels like hours later, the plane having gotten stuck behind three others while waiting to take off. So far Wonwoo’s row mate has sneezed a total of five times and nearly tripped a flight attendant twice with his foot. Wonwoo is certain they will be conveniently overlooked for the beverage cart. He’s just about to start a game of Candy Crush on his phone when the cabin speakers once again come to life.

“ _Good afternoon, everyone. This is your captain Joshua Hong speaking. On behalf of X airline, I’d like to welcome you aboard flight nine-eight-three. We’ve got a little over thirteen hours ahead of us and our wonderful cabin crew will take fantastic care of your needs._ ” Wonwoo snorts, thinks about what Seungcheol might have said if he were here. “ _The local time in Los Angeles is 3:57 in the afternoon and the time in Seoul is 7:57 in the morning. In just a few minutes your flight attendants will come through with beverage options as well as a light snack to tide you all over until we serve dinner. I’ll turn off the seatbelt sign so feel free to move about the cabin as necessary. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of your flight!_ ”

Sure enough, two flight attendants begin wheeling a beverage cart towards the front of the plane on either side. Wonwoo turns to his seatmate in an attempt of lighthearted humor, says “Do you think it’s too early for alcohol?” in his best English, and is promptly shut down with a frustrated grunt from the older man. Fantastic.

He won’t keep trying to talk to the man, not until he inevitably has to go to the bathroom, so he starts tapping on the screen in front of him and scrolling through the _Now Playing_ menu. There are a ton of movies he’s been wanting to see, some he remembers premiering only a month prior, a few episodes of random American sitcoms and dramas he’s never heard of, and several clips of talk show host segments. When nothing really catches his eye, Wonwoo turns to his phone.

A few clicks here and there and he’s connected to the in-flight internet service. He’s not surprised by the lack of notifications since he hasn’t really responded to anyone in the hour it’s been since they took off but he hopes Seungcheol still has his phone nearby.

_Wonwoo >> Cheol _

**XX:16** : pretty sure that’s illegal.

Seungcheol’s response is immediate.

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:16** : HE LIVES

 **XX:16** : Also it’s only illegal if u get caught

 **XX:17** : Are you sitting next 2 the love of ur life?

Truthfully, Wonwoo shouldn’t be bothered by the twinge of pain he gets reading Seungcheol’s text. Not everyone in the entire state of California knew prior to his moving there. And it was over a year ago. He should be over this. He isn’t, but he should be. And he should be okay talking about it. He hasn’t decided if he’s ready to date yet.

Grimacing, he briefly taps open other conversations to take his mind off of it.

_Wonwoo >> Gyu _

**XX:18** : my seat mate might kill me

_Gyu >> Wonwoo _

**XX:19** : ??????

_Wonwoo >> Gyu _

**XX:19** : also I miss your dog.

_Gyu >> Wonwoo _

**XX:20** : [images downloading]

 **XX:23** : [image attached]

 **XX:23** : [image attached]

 **XX:23** : [image attached]

_Wonwoo >> Gyu _

**XX:24** : what a baby.

 **XX:24** : I do not think that last one was meant for me.

_Gyu >> Wonwoo _

**XX:25** : WHOOPS

Deciding the conversation with Mingyu has taken a turn for worse, Wonwoo opens up the bubble with Seungcheol's looming message and taps out a witty response.

 _Wonwoo >> Cheol_  
**XX:27** : if a 60 year old white guy is the love of my life I want to know why he’s flying coach.

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:28** : Wonwoo!!! R u lookin 2 become a sugar baby?????

_Wonwoo >> Cheol _

**XX:28** : maybe

_Cheol >> Wonwoo _

**XX:29** : U wanna be mine?

It's a typical Seungcheol line. Despite the horrible chatspeak and even worse jokes, Seungcheol was the one who took Wonwoo under his wing when Wonwoo first showed up at the office. It helped that he was his boss, but he was also a good person. He introduced Wonwoo to the rest of their department, brought him out for game nights and accommodated him whenever he was sexiled from the apartment, and even took him to the beach every so often. His husband, a part-time model, warmed up quickly to Wonwoo and the couple became his favorite people outside of Korea. Of course, Wonwoo was the first person Seungcheol approached about a potential transfer. " _Are you ready to join us full time?_ " he'd asked Wonwoo out of the blue. " _They want me at home base and I told them I'd only go if I could take my best intern. You wouldn't be an intern anymore._ " 

And Wonwoo is just about to respond to the text, send a quick retort or maybe screencap it and send it to Jonghyun when his seatmate taps him on the shoulder. Wonwoo pauses his music to look up and nearly drops his phone.

Because standing in front of him is the love of his life, and he’s handing Wonwoo a bag of mini pretzels.


	2. soonyoung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> here is soonyoung's pov!

_ Soonyoung >>> Mom _

**XX:23** : less than 17 hours until i see you!!!!!!

_ Mom >>> Soonyoung _

**XX:25** :  ♡♡♡ Have a safe flight, my angel. 

 

Soonyoung locks his phone and slips it quickly in the inside of his jacket. He’s hunched over in an aisle towards the back of the plane under the guise of checking the seat back pockets for trash and ripped magazines. And then he decides to actually check the seat back pockets for trash and ripped magazines. He doesn’t need Jeonghan yelling at him in front of the whole crew again, that’s for sure. 

The upcoming flight is only his third time going between America and South Korea, the others mostly staying domestic or less than eight hours. More or less with the same crew every time. Soonyoung is pretty sure Jeonghan put a note in his file to claim him somehow for any and all future flights. He and Joshua  _ were _ talking about adopting pretty soon. 

 

Soonyoung became a flight attendant right out of university. He graduated with a business degree in marketing and assumed he would become a PR consultant for a nine-figure salaried corporation but instead he became a flight attendant. His mother, having watched him work himself to the bone for almost four years, was ecstatic. His father less so, but grew to accept the outcome. Soonyoung was happy and he was making a decent wage while traveling around the world. 

It’s not like he purposely decided to get a degree in business and waste all that time and energy (and money). It’s just that shit happens and when it happens to Soonyoung he tends to make drastic life decisions. Like joining an airline.

Typically when one spends four years dating their best friend of almost ten years, they don’t expect to be broken up with right before graduation. Soonyoung thought they had forever, is all. Thought when his then-boyfriend asked him over for a candlelit dinner he would end dinner with tears in his eyes and a ring on his finger. 

To his credit, by the end of dinner, there  _ were _ tears in his eyes. In one fell swoop, everything sort of felt like the end.

Over the course of the three weeks leading up to graduation, Soonyoung applied and interviewed for multiple airlines. He made sure to tell no one, not until (if) he was hired. And then he was hired. And he still hadn’t told anyone. He graduated and the very next day he began training. 

And that was a little over a year ago. He’s met some wonderful people both on and off the plane. Jeonghan, his mentor of sorts, Joshua, Jeonghan’s gentleman of a husband (he’s not sure, however, who he feels worse for in that relationship) and incredible pilot, and Changkyun, a recent hire who trailed Soonyoung around like a lost puppy. He remembers all sorts of passengers and experiences and the places he’s been. Experiences he’d never really expected to have. Often he’ll think back to the twenty-six-hour pit stop in Amsterdam where the three of them (pre-Changkyun) explored the city and spent hours walking Vondelpark taking photos every chance they could. When it started raining out of nowhere and they sought shelter in a marijuana dispensary because the word  _ coffee _ shouted at them in bright neon lights. Much to their chagrin, it was not coffee. 

All in all, his decision to become a flight attendant has paid off immensely. True, he doesn’t see his family as often as he wants and yes, he’s not at home long enough to justify adopting a dog but. It’s worth it. It really is. And now he’s got an entire week of paid vacation lined up to do absolutely nothing plane-related. A thirteen-hour ride, an ocean, and customs stand in his way. 

“Are you done slacking off, slacker?” Jeonghan’s voice rips Soonyoung out of his daydream. The nagging is never out of malice, though Soonyoung wishes he’d get mad at him once or twice so the others don’t start thinking he’s a favorite or something (he is, but neither of them will say it out loud). Before he can even open his mouth, Jeonghan beats him to the punch. “Boarding’s in two hours. Can you do a Starbucks run?” Soonyoung groans inwardly. He  _ hates _ doing the Starbucks run. “Though I suppose I’ll have to get Changkyun to vacuum under the seats if you did a Starbucks  _ walk _ .” 

It’s a good thing he hates vacuuming the carpets under every seat even more than doing the Starbucks run.

An hour and five drinks (six if you count the one he accidentally dropped while balancing the cupholder and the bag of pastries, and him offering to help clean up the mess) later sees Soonyoung sitting in the back with their small team. Jeonghan is at the gate with a few other airline attendants beginning the boarding process and the flight crew has just arrived and begun settling in. This is Soonyoung’s favorite part, sometimes. The ten minutes of bonding before hours of. Well. It depends on the flight. 

“Soonyoung, you’ve got economy. Second emergency exit through this last row.” 

Soonyoung looks up from scrolling through his phone and one of the older female flight attendants is holding the schedule. Nayoung, if he remembers correctly. This is his first time flying with her but Jeonghan seemed extremely keen to have her on the team. “I thought I had business class.” 

“You did, but I switched you and Mark. You’ll be closer to the food.” 

He scowls at that, wants nothing more than to be closer to the one area most passengers flock to the second the seatbelt sign is turned off. He can’t really turn them away from taking extras of the complimentary snacks but he wishes they had a sign limiting passengers to the amount they could make off with. Mark pats him on the shoulder with an apologetic smile. 

“Alright, Jeonghan began the boarding process so everyone get ready. Big smiles. Breathe.” 

 

Halfway through the boarding process and Soonyoung waits dutifully in the back of the cabin as more and more people fill in the previously empty seats. Families, couples, solo travelers. Soonyoung enjoys people watching, guessing their adventures. Sometimes he’ll talk to them if they look friendly enough. When he helps shove an oversized carry-on into the overhead compartment he knows isn’t going to fit, they’ll share details or he’ll listen in on conversations. Sometimes, they aren’t as nice.

He’s in the middle of near-arguing with an older man about his backpack not fitting under his seat when there’s a blur of a face in the corner of his eye. Blur of face isn’t the right term, but it’s the only thing Soonyoung can think. The face, blurred or not, is familiar. He only sees the back of a head, now, reaching up to cram a small backpack in an even smaller spot above him.  _ No fucking way _ , Soonyoung thinks briefly.  _ No fucking way. This is not happening.  _

In theory, Soonyoung knows he could be wrong. It’s been over a year and things can change. Hair colors can change. The blurry head was kind of taller. Did he really grow so much in just a year? 

When the blurry head turns, Soonyoung twists his body around to collide with another body. Thankfully (or not), the collided body is only Jeonghan. 

“ _ What are you doing? _ ” Jeonghan hisses under his breath, smiling at a toddler standing up in her seat beside them. 

Soonyoung is not entirely sure. And, as much as he wants to, he absolutely cannot dive into the empty row of seats to his left. He also cannot jump off the plane. What he can do (and does do) is guide Jeonghan towards the middle of the cabin away from anyone he may or may not know. When Soonyoung determines the situation is mostly okay, he leans into Jeonghan. “I think my ex is sitting in the window seat of the last row. I couldn’t tell, but I’m pretty sure it’s him.”

Jeonghan’s eyes grow wide. “Wait,  _ the _ ex? The one who-”

“Yes. That ex.”

“Do you need me to kick his ass or something?” Soonyoung smiles at Jeonghan’s sudden enthusiasm and defensiveness. “Just say the word and I’ll get Josh to boot from the plane without a parachute.” 

Taking a deep breath, Soonyoung checks his watch. Only ten minutes until they close the doors. Ten minutes and he is stuck on this plane for thirteen hours with the ex-boyfriend he is still pretty much Not Over. He’d spent the past year heartbroken when he’d been broken up with in the middle of a five star restaurant a week before receiving his diploma. It’s part of the reason Jeonghan attached himself to Soonyoung. Soonyoung is fairly certain Jeonghan feeds off of other people’s emotions as an energy source. Though the older male had been nothing but motherly and kind to Soonyoung. He’s grateful for Jeonghan. 

“No ass kicking needed at the moment, but thank you. I’ll just-” Ah. Right. He’s assigned to that section for the entire flight. Fantastic. “Die, I guess.” 

Before Jeonghan can respond he’s being pulled away by Nayoung appearing out of thin air and “ _ you have a job to do” _ . 

Passengers file around Soonyoung and he offers a weak smile to each one, asking softly if they need any help. He’ll just stay on the left side for now. 

_ I’m probably wrong and I’m freaking out over nothing. There’s no way it could be him. He got a real job in California, why would he suddenly go home?  _

 

As it is, fate loves to fuck with him and he’s stuck on the right side of the plane with the drink cart. But for now, Soonyoung will act like nothing is wrong and do his job because Nayoung is for sure going to murder him any second now. It’s fine. 

Soonyoung counts the rows leading up to the last. “Can I get you something to drink?” Six rows. “Can I get you something to drink?” Four rows. “Can I get you something to drink?” One row.  _ Shit _ . 

“Can I get you something to drink?” Soonyoung’s comment is directed at the older gentleman sitting in the aisle but his eyes are staring straight at the figure in the window seat. The person has their headphones in, eyes down towards a video on their phone screen. Before, when this person was just a blurry face, Soonyoung could have easily written it off as a stranger. A familiar looking stranger. But the blurry face sitting in the window seat is not a stranger. The side profile is unmistakable. The round glasses are distinct. Soonyoung knows because he bought them as a Christmas present. Can recognize the logo, even if it is a little worn off. 

The old man, clearly over dealing with a flight attendant, nudges his seatmate and points at Soonyoung. And when Soonyoung makes direct eye contact with Jeon Wonwoo, he kind of wishes  _ he _ could jump off the plane without a parachute. 

“Oh.” 


	3. wonwoo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> think of this as 2.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has supported this fic and has waited ever so patiently for a new chapter. I present to you a mini-chapter as I work on the full third chapter which will be a flashback of sorts. 
> 
> some things will be changed around as I've kind of updated the plot, but they won't be super noticeable!

Wonwoo stammers. He feels pale as he locks eyes with the one person he’s been happily avoiding for well over a year. Well. Maybe not happily.

Belatedly Wonwoo asks for a gin and tonic and, still stunned, takes the bag of pretzels the flight attendant is offering him. Their fingers brush against each other momentarily and Wonwoo can immediately see Soonyoung flinch at the contact.

The rest of the interaction goes like this: Wonwoo pays for his drink silently, Soonyoung tells him in a soft voice it will be brought to him shortly, and Soonyoung moves on. The whole moment felt like it took days when in reality it was only four minutes maximum. But Wonwoo can still feel the warmth of Soonyoung’s hand even after Soonyoung has disappeared several rows ahead.

It’s mere seconds before Wonwoo unlocks his phone and opens the messenger application, thumbing open the conversation with Jihoon.

 **WW:** So

 **WW** : Soonyoung is on my flight

 **JH** : ?????????

 **JH** : oh shit he’s a flight attendant

 **WW** : You knew?

 **WW** : Did no one think to warn me?

 **JH** : i mean you asked us to stop updating you on him so we did

 **JH** : how does he look

 **WW** : Terrified

 **JH** : and?

 **WW** : That’s all I noticed

 **JH** : damn

 **JH** : hold on

Wonwoo checks the clock on a whim and realizes Jihoon is awake way past his normal bedtime. It’s almost 5 in the morning in Seoul and Wonwoo knows Jihoon isn’t just getting a head start on a new day.

 **WW** : Album due this weekend?

Jihoon’s response is delayed, but as expected.

 **JH** : two. the kids have their first comeback soon and min yoongi’s third full album is scheduled to release next month

 **JH** : jun is pissed

 **WW** : Give him a break

 **WW** : He just got back from China and he wants to spend time with you

 **JH** : …..he called you didn’t he

 **WW** : He may have sent me a strongly worded letter the other night

 **JH** : fuck

 **JH** : i wish i could call you

Wonwoo’s heart drops just a little at this. Jihoon was a friend he’d made easily when initially adopted into Soonyoung’s social circle. They had similar introverted personalities, Jihoon even more so, and clicked almost instantly when Jihoon simultaneously complained about his crush on Wen Junhui just as Wonwoo complained about his own on Kwon Soonyoung.

 **WW** : Let’s get drinks on Saturday if I’m not still jet lagged

 **JH** : i’m going to sleep

 **WW** : Miss you too.

As soon as Wonwoo sets his phone down there’s a clearing of the throat somewhere to his right. Wonwoo looks up and another flight attendant is standing there, one hand on his hip and the other holding Wonwoo’s drink. The flight attendant (his name tag says Jeonghan) seems almost annoyed with Wonwoo, like the passenger was making him wait or something absurd. Wonwoo reaches out to take the drink over his now-sleeping row mate and watches as Jeonghan not-so-stealthily gives him somewhat of a once over before turning back down the aisle. Somehow not the strangest interaction he’s had thus far.

Soonyoung is nowhere in sight and Wonwoo can’t tell if he’s relieved. He considers texting Mingyu now that most of his Korea-side friends are asleep. And if not Mingyu, possibly his blunt as fuck boyfriend who would probably have better advice such as “just jump off the plane” or “hide in the bathroom”. Instead, Wonwoo chugs the remainder of his poorly proportioned beverage lays back in his seat. There are roughly two or three hours until meal service so he’s praying he can wring out a decent nap beforehand.  

Thankfully sleep comes to Wonwoo easily. Dreams, not so much.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on twitter @instillared.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.


End file.
